Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-11-24

/ DE Noirville, and when be had finished b S
auditors, accustomed as they were to strange
tales, looked completely dumfounded.
"But how do you know all of thiss"
because l am Roger Laroque, and have
come to vindicate my name at the risk of my
life. trust in your honor. and place my life
and that of my child in your hands"
| The two detectives looked at each other in
silence, and then as by one common accord
they rose and offered Roger their hands,
which he took with q grateful heart. lie
knew be had found friends. Tristot spoke:
| ave must put aside as impossible the actual
| guilt of Nine De Noirville, though she may
have inspired it or have been an accomplice
in some way, but If we find any indication Of
| her guilt we shall follow her up in private
until you give US other orders. Now remains
the club. Did you know all the players there
| that nightl 1t may be that there was present
an ancient or new lover of Mime. De NOR
vile. Think WE'LL"
| u cannot imagine of any person who could
have held such a position. The only peculiar
| incident was that my friend the Baron De
Cey spoke to some one, thinking it me, calling
| him by my name and touching his shoulder.
| noticed the man, as De Cey told me laugh
ingly Of the rencontre. He was large, tall,
! dark and wore his hair and beard as did
His eyes, however, were different and the
| eyebrows hushy. In the evening or in the
day one could easily mistake this man for
me at the first glance He had recently boen
received into the club, and do not RENE n
Der to have seen him there before, and as you
can imagine never went there after. His
name is LuYersan."
she is banker or broker or sornething Of
that sort, is he not Tristotip said Pivolot.
"Had this man any good reason to hate
you9"
"None chat know Of"
"That we must find out. We win look up
this Luversan, as well as begin again from
the beginning, this time with view to find
the real man, not to search proofs against an
| innocent one"
~ thank you with all my heart" said
Roger, ''more for my daughters sake than
my own. / wish her 20 be able to bear her
own name until the day she takes that Of an
honorable and noble man who loves her and
whom she loves. As to myself, l should no5
care so much, but would accept my fate %
my expiation for the wrong did"
"You would be wrong, sir, for while you
were away, even now, do you know what
your workmen call you! Roger the Shame
full"
"Alasln said Roger, with sob which he
vainly tried to repress.
Roger went home to await the result Of the
search Tristot and Pivolot were to make.
Several days passed without a sign or word,
when one morning telegram caused him to
present himself at their home,
1--WE have not altogether lost our time,"
said they, "and we have not accomplished
much either. Still here is what we have dis
covered. We find that Luversan is not the
real name CT him who bears it, but Matthias
Zuber is.n
At this name Roger started and his heart
beat quicker than usual. He remembered
well that name and the man.
Did he not fight around Orleans? Had be
not caught him in the very act of treason7
Roger remembered distinctly the letter VOW
ing vengeance that had been left for him after
this mans escape Ii that was the same man
he knew now the motive, but how had Julia
| known him?
Roger reflected a moment. "Do nothing
more until you see me again, except to find
out all you can about Luversan's financial
position
"What do you think of doingg' asked
Tristot.
81 hardly know yet myself, but will keep
you informed. l must think this matter over
alone day or son
In two days Roger returned to them and
said:
II have plan; it is so wild and strange
that do not want to soy anything about it,
even to you, until / sse whether or no | can
carry it out l beg of you to give me a letter
of the most earnest kind to one OF your
friends in the exchange who knows Luversan.
1t is necessary that the friend to whom you
shall send me shall repose unlimited confidence
in me-"
Tristot gave him letter to banker, NJ.
Andrimaud, saying:
"Whatever you ask of him he will do"
When be presented himself at the bankers
house the latter received Roger with extreme
consideration, and asked in what manner lie
could serve him.
"What l ask is q very simple affair, as far
as it appears on tho surface. You know q
broker by the name of Luversani"
''Yesn
Enough TO bring me into contact with him
| sociallyT'
Eyes; will give bachelors dinner and
invite him here, If that will suit you, next
Monday at ~
The dinner was given. Luversan was there,
as also was Roger, and the acquaintance was
made The two men were polite to each
other, but there was nothing more than the
ordinary exchange of courtesies. Roger
watched Luversan attentively. rs he the
assassin he thought.
After dinner the guests began general con-
versation, and Iaroque talked freely of his
| enormous fortune, which he had made by his
| inventions. The banker instructed by Roger
what part to take, had introduced him as the
millionaire partner of an extremely large
| house in America.
Luversan was far from suspecting that
this man could be Laroque. Indeed, he had
almost forgotten his very existence after lie
had heard of Rogers supposed tragic death.
He did not appear to take much interest in
Forney's stories about his fabulous wealth
yet he thought
"This man is rich and an imbecile. He
knows nothing of Paris He is like all the
great savants and inventors, no more than u
big baby. He may be of great use to me if
manage him right"
Roger read his thought and ray of glad
ness penetrated his heart.
'At last" said he, 'at lastl'
Laroque and Luversan met every day after
this at the exchange. AT the end of q fort
night they were on friendly terms, and that
which Roger had foreseen took place. Lu-
versan proposed to Roger a plan of specula-
money Roger for FORMS sake affected to
examine into it, and pretended to hesitate,
| but finally consented.
Luversan launched the speculation, which
consisted in the discovery and working Of a
petroleum mine in Guatemala. Placed on
the market in the grandest style, it was
not long before the shares were all bought
up. The affair had succeeded so well in its
beginning that Luversan, now having the
means and a certain new consideration in
the exchange, speculated wildly until, in
the very height of its success, this Guate-
mala petroleum mine was threatened with
a disaster so great that it wsuld swallow
up all he had in the world and leave him
after so many years bankrupt man. And
this is how it happened. Roger had been
to the banker and said:
"Sir, on the recommendation of Tristot you
placed yourself at my disposal have to ask
you to render me service Will you do il
without question:
After hearing the service desired, the
banker hesitated. Laroque continued:
"You shall know all later have nothing
hidden from Tristot. l am trying to pene-
trate a mystery Of the gravest Importance, in
which my honor is at stake, and viii conse-
crate my whole fortune to it if necessary"
"But if you are mistaken"
81 will them if / have injured him, repair
his credit. Now, then, can you ruin Luveisan
financially2 Here are funds to use to buy all
you can get of the Guatemala petroleum
stock. Buy it and throw it into the market
=